Your garden looks fantastic Sticki and your table very inviting. I love eating in the garden. The family were here yesterday..well quite a lot of them, for lunch. Made veggie madras, Bombay potatoes and cardamon rice which all turned out well, followed by lemon meringue pie which wasn't home made, very nice though. Lovely afternoon, long may this weather last:-))

oh dear, i cant believe what bad weather scotland has had this year ~ i always tell people what wonderful weather we have had there.
can you suggest some plants for my green garden karen? white and yellow seem to work best, its quite acidic, free draining and shady!!

Not much space left but room for smaller evergreens, herbaceous or shrubs, but not edging plants please. Fragrant would be a bonus. But mostly it's colour I'm after, preferably not annuals, and not very tall cos of the slope, about 2 to 3 foot high would be good.
Oh dear I don't mean to sound so fussy. Sorry

Just found this photo - that's what I call a good winding down to the day! As long as weather allows we always finish our days on the balcony or in the garden with a glass of wine, talking about what's been done and what needs to be done, but not being in too much of a rush to do it ........ Ho hum.

Ah, I was just about to say why not go for a Heuchera or two Sticki! lol! Now if you have room left, you could get a Tiarella which is similar to Heuchera with smaller leaves and the flowers are prettier also...evergreen. Brunnera Macrophylla is great too because you get really early new growth in the spring, pretty flowers and then gorgeous mounds of heart-shaped leaves, many with lovely silvery variegation...lasts long into the winter if its not too cold. Or how about a really choice dwarf conifer, one that won't grow much at all of course.....for some lovely wintry form and texture. If you want a white flower, why not try a miniature patio rose....it might be ok in a sheltered spot. I am very pleased with the Polygala 'Purple Passion' that I discovered on Hywel's pages in the late winter...lovely evergreen leaves and tough as old boots...with purple and yellow pea-like flowers in the spring. It's a small plant and doesn't grow fast at all. Did you see the Sedum that I recently bought...white flowers....might be worth considering.

Thank you Karen - GoY's very garden guru.
I shall make a list of everything you said and off to the garden centre. Evergreen and flowers sound very good, I have some sedum which grows well but it's pink - a white one would be so much better, thank you.

Did you say your garden was shady Sticki? Some of the aucuba are very colourful and can take some shade. I have a lovely one in full shade and it's so colourful. I've bought a boyfriend for her.. aucuba golden king..this in in a sunnier spot, but only a few yards away. Picturata is very bright. These need such little care, yet have really brightened their patch. Lovely white foxgloves and dicentra goldheart..bright yellow leaves, flowers for ages likes part shade. How about some of the hydrangea family too? Very little care needed...all fine on acidic soil:-)

Thanks Ba, those are very interesting and helpful, I shall have a longer list to look for now. I have the golden dicentra and the other one which did so well I had to move it! I have just bought a White astrantia to give it a try cos I like it. Hydrangeas tho for some reason did not do well so I took them out - I think it may be too dry for them?? I put them in the front garden instead where they seem happier? I have bought a white foxglove and some seeds, all the foxgloves were pink!!

I have to look the others up cos I don't know them, not sure about boyfriends and girlfriends - no hanky panky in my garden thank you!!!